Disney’s biggest Star Wars success story is heading in a different direction.
When The Mandalorian launched on Disney+ in 2019, Grogu quickly became the center of the franchise. The character — widely nicknamed Baby Yoda by audiences before Lucasfilm officially revealed his name — helped turn the streaming series into a cultural hit almost overnight.
The show also gave Lucasfilm something it had struggled to maintain after the sequel trilogy: broad audience enthusiasm.
Over the following years, Disney expanded the world of Din Djarin and Grogu through multiple Disney+ series, including The Book of Boba Fett. Lucasfilm executives increasingly treated those projects as part of one larger interconnected storyline.
Disney and Lucasfilm are now preparing to release The Mandalorian and Grogu, the franchise’s first theatrical Star Wars movie since The Rise of Skywalker. The film arrives May 22 and replaces the canceled fourth season of The Mandalorian.
Jon Favreau previously confirmed that Season 4 scripts had already been written before Lucasfilm pivoted toward a movie instead.
Lucasfilm Is Moving Grogu Away From the Jedi
The transition appears to be reshaping Grogu’s role inside Star Wars canon too.
Speaking to GamesRadar+, Favreau discussed the character’s Force abilities and hinted that Grogu’s Jedi history may be broader than previously shown onscreen.
“He's not on the typical Jedi path of a youngling, but he has trained with some of the best Jedi teachers that there are,” Favreau tells GamesRadar+. “We know for sure he's studied with Luke Skywalker. There's implications that he may have crossed paths with Yoda, because he does recognize the name, is what we imply. And he also was there at the Jedi Temple before Order 66.”
Favreau also described Grogu’s training as something that continues outside traditional Jedi structures.
“So, it's a big part in talking to Dave Filoni, and by extension, to what he learned from George [Lucas], which is that the Force is about training,” he continues. “It's about refining, just like an athletic ability or any skill.”
The biggest change came when Favreau explained how Lucasfilm now views Grogu moving forward.
“Grogu is now a Mandalorian apprentice,” says Favreau. “He's been tasked with that, for those people who had watched the show. If you hadn't watched the show, what you need to know is that he is now going to be a Mandalorian in training.”
Grogu’s Original Storyline Looked Very Different
That framing marks a major shift from earlier seasons of The Mandalorian.
Much of Season 2 focused on finding Jedi guidance for Grogu. The finale ended with Luke Skywalker taking him away to continue Jedi training after Din Djarin removed his helmet and said goodbye.
The emotional ending lasted less than a year.
Grogu returned to Din Djarin during The Book of Boba Fett, restoring the duo before The Mandalorian Season 3 began. Some fans criticized the decision at the time, arguing the reunion undermined the Season 2 finale.
Favreau’s latest comments push the character even further away from a traditional Jedi future.
“And what's interesting now is we have a character that's going to be potentially both Jedi and Mandalorian in Grogu, and we'll see what his path is.”
Older Star Wars stories have often treated Jedi attachment and Mandalorian clan loyalty as difficult to reconcile. Jedi teachings traditionally discouraged attachment, while Mandalorian identity is rooted heavily in family, creed, and loyalty.
Lucasfilm now appears to be moving in another direction entirely.
The shift also comes as Disney continues leaning heavily on Grogu as one of the company’s most valuable Star Wars characters. The character remains central to merchandise, marketing campaigns, theme park branding, and now the franchise’s theatrical return.
How do you think Grogu's story will play out in The Mandalorian and Grogu?
